


Drone of Rain

by radishleaf



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, First Kiss, Romantic Fluff, Self-Indulgent, i just want my faves to kiss okay?, things get a little spicy but nothing too concerning lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26427508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radishleaf/pseuds/radishleaf
Summary: During a scouting mission for the battle ahead, Beruka and Niles get caught in the rain.
Relationships: Belka | Beruka/Zero | Niles
Kudos: 5





	Drone of Rain

**Author's Note:**

> cries
> 
> pls accept my second dumb nilruka fic. i wanted to write a fic of them kissing, but nothing ever felt right. i am even a little dissatisfied with this one, but i just wanted to write something! my otp needs more content!
> 
> as always, kindly disregard any grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, and the like. i tried to be thorough. enjooooy.

The sun dipped low before the roll of mountains in the distance; the sky darkening with each passing minute, slowly receding from orange to indigo marked by pink-mauve striations. Beruka’s eyes remained trained on the forest below as she gave her wyvern’s reins a tug. Stretching its left wing out completely, her wyvern caught an upward draft, coming full circle in its flight path. Yet, even as she continued to survey the area, Beruka’s umpteenth attempt to get a thorough reading below proved too difficult; the forest was simply too dense. There was only one option: They would have to continue their scouting on foot.

Beruka felt more than heard Niles’s groan behind her; the sound carrying down his arms wound about her waist. This was obviously followed by an irate roll of the eye; she’d been the bearer of it more times she could count what with her refusing to take his jests in kind. Immediately, her hackles stiffened ramrod straight; every little thing with him annoyed her, much to her chagrin, though she hadn’t the faintest idea why. She chocked it up to his usual demeanor and nothing more; his main prerogative with everyone, it seemed, was to get under their skin.

Niles seemed to read her mind, however, as she felt him lean to the side to take in the forest below. “I guess the idea of an early return is impossible now,” he said behind her.

Beruka nodded to him over her shoulder. “Yes. We’ve no choice but to chart the forest on foot. Night is swiftly approaching, making it impossible to do so from the air.”

“Gods…” Niles’s sentiment seemed to carry on the wind, as even Beruka frowned at the prospect. It only seemed to deepen when he groaned again, making her side-eye him. “You know you’re keeping me from my game, right? I was looking forward to besting Odin in cards tonight.”

Beruka harrumphed. “That problem is yours and yours alone,” she said. “It has nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, come now, Beruka. Have a heart,” Niles said. “You and I both know there’s no danger to be had in this forest. Let’s just head back and call it a day.”

“Lady Camilla asked for a thorough report, so I’m going to give her one,” Beruka said indignantly. “You’re free to return to base camp once we land, provided you can walk the miles to get there.”

“Forever the dutybound soul, aren’t you?” The laugh that left Niles was a tad wistful. “I’m unsure if I should admire you, or fear you. What if something were to happen to me? Safety for both of us should be our top priority—we were _both_ tasked to scout the area, after all.

Beruka thinned her lips, as she cared—more than she was willing to admit, honestly. Still, she returned, “Just don’t get in the way of the mission. It’s what’s most important, Niles.”

Niles hummed. “Mm, to you, it is,” he said, his arms tightening about Beruka’s waist. Her pulled her back some, to the point where she felt the full heat of his chest flush against her back. Any movement only enveloped her further into him; the saddle was only made for one, after all.

Dipping low, Niles said, his voice marked by a teasing lilt, “I have something here that’s more important than the mission, let alone anything else in my life. Care to give a guess what it is?” 

Beruka couldn’t answer him. Her heart thudded against the metal of her breastplate, starting her; never before had she encountered such a physical reaction so strong. She distracted herself by focusing on the mission. Her eyes snapped back to the forest below, searching out a clearing to land in. Once she spotted one, she motioned to it, receiving a rumble in response from her wyvern.

With two powerful flaps of its wings, Beruka’s wyvern shot into a dive, clearing the distance between sky and land within record time. Just as it appeared it might impact, the wyvern jerked its long neck up and ground its feet into the sod, ending in a rough—but safe—landing.

Still, the wyvern jostled both riders atop it. Beruka’s hands gripped the reins tightly, if only to have purchase against the unsteadiness of her wyvern’s minute movements. Niles’s arms were still tight about her, but uncomfortably so—Beruka could barely breathe, even though it was Niles who wheezed from panic.

“Gods above, I thought we were both good as dead!” Niles cried. “Is that how you usually land this thing?”

“Only when something proves an annoying distraction—as you’ve been this entire time.”

“ _Oh?_ ” Niles quirked a brow, curiosity piqued.

In response, Beruka’s knit together; she knew her fellow retainer had surprising tenacity, but to recover so quickly from a purported near-death experience was a feat in and of itself.

Leaning into her space once more, Niles added with a smirk, “And just what about me distracted you, Beruka?”

Beruka rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible,” she huffed, suddenly wrenching her elbow back and jamming it in his ribs. “This isn’t the time for jokes.”

Niles bowled over, sucking in a sharp breath between teeth. “B- _Beruka_ …!” he cried, but she ignored him, taking the opportunity to slip from his grasp now that it had loosened.

Sliding off her wyvern, she walked the length to its head, and was immediately accosted by the creature. It pressed its head into her chest, which by her small stature, was her entire height. Beruka allowed herself a small, rare smile, patting it lovingly. Despite its monstrous appearance, her wyvern had the attitude of a pup; always searching for praise and attention. It was never satisfied once she started, so Beruka had to physically extricate herself from the wyvern to stop. All the while, Niles watched, clearly amused.

Beruka couldn’t help the small heat to her cheeks. “What?” she challenged, but Niles shook his head before sliding off the wyvern.

 _He’s smart to leave the matter alone_ , Beruka thought.

Instead, he said, “I’m just surprised by how affectionate this thing is. Seems quite fond of you.”

“Any creature would be if given food and a home,” she said. “We from the slums are no different, if you think about it.”

Niles inclined his head. “That I can’t deny,” he agreed.

Turning back to her wyvern, Beruka said to it, “Stay here for the time being. We will return shortly; remain vigilant and give warning of any danger, all right?”

The wyvern rumbled in response, nosing her extended palm. Taking this as a cue to leave, Beruka turned on her heel, only to suddenly be wrenched back. Blinking, she turned to see her wyvern had caught her by the scruff of her tattered scarf. She prepared to admonish it, before she saw the concerned crinkle of its eye, and followed its line of sight to Niles. He blinked in response, clueless as to why he was the center of the two’s attention.

“What now? Does that thing want to eat me or something?” he asked.

“No…” Beruka exchanged glances between Niles and her wyvern, trying to connect the dots. Once something piqued in her mind, she hummed. “Ah, I see…”

“What is it? Because clearly, I’m not.”

“I’m not expecting you to.”

“Cut me some slack. I simply don’t share your tongue.”

“And that is?”

Niles chuckled. “Reptilian.”

Beruka glowered at the man, only for him to shrug a shoulder and repress a harder laugh he knew would only upset her more.

Sighing, she let the jest fall to the wayside, and motioned to the bow strapped to Niles’s back. “Nohrian wyverns are trained from small to identity bows as threats,” she explained. “It serves well in battle, especially for riders in the midst of attack. It appears my wyvern has taken _you_ for a threat.”

“Me? A threat? _Never_.” Niles’s lips hooked up in a crooked smile, approaching the wyvern with arms spread. “I’ll show it. Come here, you scaly thing. Give Uncle Niles some of that—”

Niles could only manage a step in the wyvern’s direction before it reared up, dragging Beruka with it. She allowed it, figuring fighting it would use up precious energy she should conserve. As much as it pleased her to see Niles slip into panic for their well-being again, Beruka cut him some slack; they still had a mission to complete.

Beruka patted the side of her wyvern’s jaw and it gently lowered her to the ground. After another word with it, it left the two of them to their own devices, but not without giving Niles a warning glance. It spoke volumes without a single utterance: _If anything were to befall my master, your life is mine._ The shudder he tried to repress didn’t go unnoticed.

In order to save face, Niles ushered Beruka toward the forest lining, and from there, they began their scouting on foot through the woods. It was a silent endeavor; even if Niles appeared only half-serious about the mission, Beruka knew he was at least being cautious. After all, there was something more than the mission there with him. He would do all to keep it safe.

What _it_ actually entailed confused Beruka. Undeniably, she was the target of his interest; he made this known to her again and again and again. However, just how far this went was where the line blurred; Beruka couldn’t discern what was true intention and what was only done to press her buttons. Lady Camilla had teased her, singsong, that _everything_ Niles said or did to her was completely genuine, but Beruka didn’t—couldn’t—believe her.

After all, who could come to care for an emotionless monster?

“Beruka.”

She was undeserving of such affections.

“ _Beruka.”_

He was deserving of someone better.

“ _Beruka!_ ”

Niles’s sudden exclamation broke Beruka from her thoughts. She jerked downward, taking a defensive stance after snapping up a dagger, but Niles flashed his palms innocently.

“Whoa, easy there,” he said.

“What’s the problem?” Beruka eyes scanned the perimeter, looking for any movement within the wood. “Where’s the danger?”

Niles shook his head. “There isn’t any. Well, there is, if your weakness happens to be rain.”

“Rain?”

Beruka turned about when Niles motioned to the sky. The dark of night had already fallen, but through the tightly knit canopy, the roll of a storm cloud proceeded to blot out the stars. A few stray droplets caught the wind, peppering Beruka’s face. She thinned her lips; rain was only a minor inconvenience for a Nohrian retainer, but she was feeling winded, and a single glance at Niles told her he was feeling the same.

“A rest would do us some good,” Beruka said, wincing when Niles mouthed, _Thank the gods._ “But only until the rain passes.”

“That’s more than enough time for me,” Niles replied.

After locating a tree with sprawling branches, the two leaned side by side against its trunk, awaiting the rain ahead. Yet, what was purported to be a shower turned into a deluge; fat droplets pelted against the earth as if they had a vendetta against it, making even shelter under a tree moot. Beruka shielded a hand over her head to save herself from most of the rain, but it did little against the elements. Niles opted for something more suitable, popping the button to the capelet about his shoulders open and tenting it over his head.

Beruka eyed him, but said nothing; discomfort was more appealing to her than being in close proximity to the man. She feared having the same reaction she had on her wyvern. Yet, Niles wouldn’t have this; he first invited her with a cock of his chin, but Beruka ignored him, trying to chalk up her lack of awareness from the drone of the rain. When this proved futile (Niles knew she had keen senses; even if she couldn’t hear him, she could still read his lips), he reached across and tugged her under.

Beruka immediately fought him. “What are you doing?” she growled.

Niles rolled his eye. “You’re getting wet,” he said. “Just come, stand under here. Save yourself from getting a cold or something. I don’t want to be reprimanded by Lady Camilla if you do.”

Beruka folded arms across her chest. “I’m fine here,” she rebuked. “Don’t worry about me; only care about yourself.”

“ _Impossible_ ,” Niles returned, almost spat. It was as if he couldn’t comprehend the audacity of her words. “Come. Now. Or I’ll force you again.”

Beruka didn’t want to fight him. Her mood was slowly souring from the rain, and to have Niles have his way would truly upset her. The last thing she wanted to do was take it out on him, or even worse—let her wyvern sense her anger and tear him asunder. With a sigh, she shifted two steps beneath the capelet, and stopped. Even if closer to Niles, there was still at least an arm’s length distance between them.

 _Good_ , she thought. _This is comfortable enough._

Niles wasn’t satisfied. “You’re still getting wet,” he said, indicating the dribble of rain pattering off Beruka’s shoulder. “Come under more.”

Beruka shook her head, arms knotting tighter. “I said this is fine.”

“Beruka, stop being stubborn about this.”

“I’m not.”

“Beruka...”

“ _I said_ —!”

Her protests fell on deaf ears. Niles reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her completely under the capelet. Even if forcefully, Beruka would’ve been inclined to let Niles have his way (as she had time and time again even when he rankled her nerves), but now, more than ever, she wanted to flee. That was because Beruka now stood flush before him, having collided chin-first right into his chest when he jerked her with all of his strength.

For a beat, the two stood there in stunned silence, unable to look each other in the eye. The thumps of Beruka’s heart reached a crescendo in her ears, drowning out the rain. It was all she could hear—all she could _feel_ —as if the whole of herself was balanced preciously on the knife-edge of uncertainty, discomfort. She was almost consumed by the feeling had she not shifted her thoughts to something else. Flat against Niles’s chest, Beruka could discern his heavy heartbeat against her palm, albeit faintly, through the rough fabric of his tunic.

It mesmerized Beruka; why was he physically reacting the same way as her? Just what was the reason, and most ardently, what was the feeling called? She lifted her chin to search Niles’s face, to maybe carve out an answer through observation alone, but her breath caught in her throat, stymieing the intention and all thoughts. Niles regarded her with a mixed expression; there was undeniably warmth there—the same untapped affection her showered on her without reason—but it bellied something unknown. All Beruka knew was it wavered his sensibilities, blowing his pupil wide with want. It struck Beruka to her core.

“N-Niles,” Beruka stammered out, averting her gaze. Again, she could no longer look at him. “What’s going on?” She began to push herself from him. “Why are you—”

“ _Beruka_.”

The lilt in his voice stilled her. It was different than the other times—not teasing, but pleading. Beruka reflexively looked to him again, detesting how her cheeks, once cold from the wind and rain, now burned. Niles reached a hand up, and ever so gently, thumbed away a streak of rain from Beruka’s cheek. She released a breath, finding comfort in that single touch. Against her hand, she felt Niles’s heart waver erratically.

“Beruka, there’s… There’s so much I want to tell you,” he said, voice dropping an octave. Though barely a hush against the drone of the rain, Beruka heard every word. “So much I want to say, but I can’t.”

Nile’s hand curved against Beruka’s cheek, and at once, she appeared to melt against it. Her eyes shut as she sought solace in that comforting warmth, confounded at the desire in her breast for it never to leave her. Her hand slipped over Niles’s, steadying it in place.

Recalling Niles’s words, Beruka’s eyes fluttered open, and she asked, “Why not?”

“I… I just can’t.”

“Then…” Beruka drew in a breath and released it slowly. “If you can’t tell me, show me.”

Such a straightforward invitation was all Niles needed. He closed the distance between them, craning his neck down, and bumped his forehead against Beruka’s. In tandem, he thumbed her bottom lip, making his intentions known, but still hesitating. It caused Beruka to grumble.

“You’ve always been forward in your advances, Niles,” she said. “Stop holding back.”

“B-Beruka…”

“If you’re going to do it, just do it.”

Finally, after what felt like another eternity in one second, Niles took—and gave—what they both wanted most. He gently slid his lips over Beruka’s; the kiss feather-light, chaste, and completely unexpected of him. It seemed to lack all of the passion he held, relinquishing his unsurety, his anxiety, in such gentleness. But it didn’t fail in doubling Beruka’s heartbeat, making her blood boil with all manner of confusing, nameless emotions. She wanted to understand them, but likewise, she didn’t care.

She simply wanted this moment to last, the buzz of her thoughts echoing into the drone of the rain.

After a second that Beruka hoped to be an eternity, Niles drew back. Her lips chased his, but he used his height to his advantage, denying her the prospect. Beruka frowned deeply, but her stubbornness was dashed aside when Niles slipped an arm about her waist and buried his face into the crook of her neck, pulling her close.

“Beruka… _Beruka_ …” He mumbled her name like a mantra. “Gods…”

“Niles…” She reached up, running fingers through his wan locks. Distantly, she thought about how wet they were; even though he invited her, his capelet idea was for naught, as they both were now soaked.

They kissed a second time when Niles pulled back to look at her. But unlike before, it satisfied what Beruka sought: Niles conveyed all he felt, all he wanted from her, when their lips met again. He held her firm against him, supporting her even as her strength seemed to wane. Beruka almost lost herself; all of _this_ was so new, so bewilderingly intoxicating. Her sensibilities almost got swept up and away, but a little reminder kindled in her mind, red embers once forgotten, before bursting to flame in the next instance.

“Niles… N-Niles”—her heart leapt into her throat when he nosed the soft skin of her jowl, reflexively making her curl fingers in his hair—“wait… Wait, w-wait— _mmph_.”

Much to her relief, he managed to pull back, only to kiss her again. Her brow twitched, though whether in annoyance or satisfaction, even she was unsure. Niles leaned into this third one the most, swallowing her breath before she could manage a word. Beruka, in desperation, beat at his shoulder. Thankfully, this convinced him to finally let them part.

“What is it?” he asked, breathless, against her lips.

Beruka swallowed thickly, the red dusted across her cheeks having reached her ears. It stood out in vivid constrict against her pale complexion. She was self-conscious of this, and wanted nothing more than to bury her face in his chest. But if she did that, she knew she’d feel more than hear the echo in his chest, and she’d want nothing but to keep kissing him.

Holding his gaze for a moment, only to avert it next, Beruka said as steadily as she could, “T-the, ah, the mission… We have to complete the m-mission…”

“But…”

“Niles, we… We really don’t have time for this.” Beruka’s eyes fluttered to his. “But later, when we return to base camp, well… We’d have time then.”

Beruka hoped this would’ve been enough to pacify him. An important task still weighed heavy on their shoulders, and even with the rain serving a nice distraction (and hindrance), the others were still waiting for them. The image of Lady Camilla pacing about her tent, her eyes pinned to the skies for her retainer’s wyvern, made Beruka’s heart drop.

Yet, pushing at Niles’s chest produced nothing; she held firm in his grasp. Brow furrowing, Beruka almost reproached him, but he refused her escape; gently carding fingers through her powder blue locks and drawing in a breath that Beruka heard the whole of fill his lungs.

“Just… a little longer,” he said, almost pleading again. “At least, until the rain passes.”

Beruka sighed, soft and languid. She remained unsure as to why Niles was being stubborn about this, but she gave in, giving him a small nod. Pressing herself against his chest, she listened to his heartbeat; a low thump against her temple—calmer than before. It was the sole anchor Beruka sought for comfort, soft but loud, enough to crowd out the drone of rain.

 _How foolish of me_ , she thought as she slipped arms about Niles, _that I don’t want this to end._


End file.
